From that time on, the world was hers for the reading....

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

E. Lockhart: The Treasure Map of Boys

I was incredibly fortunate to receive an Advance Reader's Copy of The Treasure Map of Boys by E. Lockhart (publication date: July 28), and I was thrilled to see what Ruby Oliver was up to in this incredibly addictive series.

Synopsis:

Ruby is back at Tate Prep, and it's her thirty-seventh week in the state of Noboyfriend. Her panic attacks are bad, her love life is even worse, and what's more:

Noel is writing her notes, Jackson is giving her frogs, Gideon is helping her cook, and Finn is making her brownies. Rumors are flying, and Ruby's already-sucky reputation is heading downhill.

Not only that, she's also: running a bake sale, learning the secrets of heavy metal therapy, encountering some seriously smelly feet, defending the rights of pygmy goats, and bodyguarding Noel from unwanted advances.

In this companion novel to The Boyfriend List and The Boy Book, Ruby struggles to secure some sort of mental health, to understand what constitutes a real friendship, and to find true love—if such a thing exists.

There is no shortage of men in Ruby's life. Past boyfriends, current crushes, and friend-boys are causing her panic attacks to rage out of control in this hilarious follow-up to The Boyfriend List and The Boy Book.

Dr. Z asks Ruby to create a "treasure map" of what she wants for herself-- "positive relationships" with her "peer group." But boy-crazy Ruby turns it into a map of all the boys in her life, which only causes more stress and confusion.

She soon learns that by focusing on boyfriends past and future, she's overlooking the actual treasures in her life-- a family who loves her and wants what's best for her, a crazy dog that brings joy to her life, good friends who love her despite her flaws, and a guy willing to come to her instead of her tracking him down all the time.

Furthermore, she learns that just because she lost her best friends, it doesn't mean she can't make new ones.

A little self-centered, beyond neurotic, but always likable, Ruby learns the meaning of true friendship and happiness in this laugh-out-loud book. I can't help but love her and look forward to finding out what happens next!